Display control device, display control method, and program

ABSTRACT

There is provided a display control device including an action information acquisition unit that acquires, at an action position of one actor, action information regarding a past action of another actor, an object generation unit that generates a virtual object for virtually indicating a position of the other actor during an action of the one actor based on the acquired action information, and a display control unit that causes a display unit displaying a surrounding scene to superimpose and display the generated virtual object during the action of the one actor.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This continuation application claims benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C.120 to application Ser. No. 13/717,940, filed on Dec. 18, 2012, whichclaims benefit to Japanese Priority Patent Application JP 2012-029397,filed in the Japan Patent Office on Feb. 14, 2012, the entire content ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a display control device, a displaycontrol method, and a program.

In recent years, athletes (actors) wear devices that can receive variouskinds of information from the outside via a communication network or thelike and perform exercises.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (Translation of PCTApplication) No. 2002-507734 discloses a technology for providinginformation regarding a traveling distance of an athlete to the athleteor a device used by the athlete during an exercise based on globalpositioning satellite data.

SUMMARY

When one actor acts at a given action position, the actor wants to knowthe past actions of other actors at the same position in some cases.This is because when the one actor knows the past actions of the otheractors at the same position, for example, the one actor can perform anaction appropriate for a situation, referring to the past action of theother actors.

However, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication(Translation of PCT Application) No. 2002-507734, a technology forinforming one athlete of exercise information regarding other athletesis not mentioned.

It is desirable to provide given display realistically using actioninformation a past action of regarding another actor during an action ofone actor.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provideda display control device including an action information acquisitionunit that acquires, at an action position of one actor, actioninformation regarding a past action of another actor, an objectgeneration unit that generates a virtual object for virtually indicatinga position of the other actor during an action of the one actor based onthe acquired action information, and a display control unit that causesa display unit displaying a surrounding scene to superimpose and displaythe generated virtual object during the action of the one actor.

According to the above-described configuration, the object generationunit generates the virtual object for virtually indicating the positionof the other actor during the action of the one actor based on theacquired action information. Then, the display control unit causes thedisplay unit displaying a surrounding scene to superimpose and displaythe generated virtual object during the action of the one actor. Thus,when the one actor is acting in a specific place, the display unitdisplays the virtual object corresponding to the action informationregarding the past action of the other actor at the same place. That is,during the action of the one actor, the display is realizedrealistically using the past action information of the other actor. As aresult, the one actor continues the action while viewing the virtualobject displayed during the action. Therefore, the one actor can competewith the other actor or can act based on the action of the other actorinstead of a guide.

Further, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there isprovided a display control method including acquiring, at an actionposition of one actor, action information regarding a past action ofanother actor, generating a virtual object for virtually indicating aposition of the other actor during an action of the one actor based onthe acquired action information, and causing a display unit displaying asurrounding scene to superimpose and display the generated virtualobject during the action of the one actor.

Further, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there isprovided a program for causing a computer to execute acquiring, at anaction position of one actor, action information regarding a past actionof another actor, generating a virtual object for virtually indicating aposition of the other actor during an action of the one actor based onthe acquired action information, and causing a display unit displaying asurrounding scene to superimpose and display the generated virtualobject during the action of the one actor.

According to the embodiments of the present disclosure described above,it is possible to provide realistic display using action informationregarding a past action of another actor during an action of one actor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a general configurationof a display system according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the outerappearance of a display device according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardwareconfiguration of the display device according to the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functionalconfiguration of the display device according to the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of action informationdownloaded from a server;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method of identifyingthe range of a road from a captured image;

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a virtual objectdisplayed on a display unit when a competitor is running in the front;

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a virtual objectdisplayed on the display unit when a competitor is running in the front;

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a virtual objectdisplayed on the display unit when a competitor is running in the front;

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a virtual objectdisplayed on the display unit when a competitor is running on the side;

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a virtual objectdisplayed on the display unit when a competitor is running in the rear;

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a virtual objectdisplayed on the display unit when a competitor is running in the rear;

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a map displayed on thedisplay unit when a competitor is outside of a field of view;

FIG. 14 is a schematic view illustrating an example of map displaysshowing the positions of a user and a competitor;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of a processperformed by the display device according to the embodiment; and

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of a process ofdisplaying a virtual object.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will bedescribed in detail with reference to the appended drawings. Note that,in this specification and the appended drawings, structural elementsthat have substantially the same function and structure are denoted withthe same reference numerals, and repeated explanation of thesestructural elements is omitted.

The description will be made in the following order.

1. Configuration of Display System

2. Configuration of Display Device

2-1. Example of Hardware Configuration of Display Device

2-2. Example of Functional Configuration of Display Device

3. Display Example of Virtual Object in Display Unit

4. Flow of Process Performed by Display Device

5. Case in Which Virtual Object Is Displayed

6. Summarization

<1. Configuration of Display System>

An example of the configuration of a display system 1 according to anembodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference toFIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a generalconfiguration of the display system 1 according to the embodiment of thepresent disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configurationexample of the outer appearance of a display device 100 according to theembodiment.

The display system 1 is a system that displays a virtual object (whichindicates a state in which other users run) based on past exercisehistories of the other users on a display device 100 which one userwears when the one user is running Thus, the one user (for example, auser Ua shown in FIG. 1) can run while viewing a virtual objectdisplayed on the display device 100, as if the user were competing withother users (users Ub and Uc shown in FIG. 1) who have run in the past.

As shown in FIG. 1, the display system 1 includes the display device 100which the user wears, a server 300, and a network 400 connecting thedisplay device 100 and the server 300 in a communicable way.

As shown in FIG. 2, the display device 100 is a glasses-type displaydevice which a user (here, the user Ua will be exemplified fordescription) wears on his or her face. Specifically, the display device100 is sunglasses which the user wears while running The display device100 includes display units 118 which are transmission-type displays inlens portions of the sunglasses. Therefore, the user Ua can view asurrounding scene from the display units 118 even when the user iswearing the display device 100. The display device 100 acquires positioninformation (for example, current position information) regarding thedisplay device 100 by communicating with a GPS satellite 500.

The display device 100 acquires exercise histories of past exercises ofother users (the users Ub and Uc) at the current position from theserver 300. The display device 100 displays a virtual object bysuperimposing the virtual object on the scene based on the acquired pastexercise histories of the other users. The details of the display of thevirtual object will be described below.

The server 300 manages the past exercise histories of the users Ua, Ub,and Uc. The exercise histories are sequentially received from thedisplay device 100 and are stored in a database 310 connected to theserver 300. Not only the exercise history of each user but also mapinformation or the like is stored in the database 310. The mapinformation also includes, for example, road information regarding aroad on which the users run.

The server 300 can communicate with the display device 100 which each ofthe users Ua, Ub, and Uc wears via the network. The server 300 receivesthe exercise history of each user from the display device 100 which eachof the users Ua, Ub, and Uc wears and stores the exercise history ofeach user in the database 310. Further, the server 300 transmits thepast histories of the other users Ub and Uc to the display device 100which the one user Ua wears in response to a request of the one user Ua(the display device 100 which the user Ua wears).

<2. Configuration of Display Device> (2-1. Example of HardwareConfiguration of Display Device)

An example of a hardware configuration of the display device 100according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3.FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardwareconfiguration of the display device 100 according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the display device 100 includes a CPU 112, a memory114, a power source 116, a display unit 118, a sound input and outputunit 120, and an input unit 122. The display device 100 further includesa radio communication unit 124, an electronic compass 126, a GPSprocessing unit 128, a gyro sensor 130, an atmosphere pressure sensor132, an acceleration sensor 134, and an imaging unit 136.

The CPU 112 functions as an arithmetic processing device and a controldevice and controls general operations in the display device 100according to various programs. The CPU 112 may be a microprocessor.Further, the CPU 112 can realize various functions according to variousprograms.

The memory 114 can store programs, calculation parameters, and the likeused by the CPU 112. Further, the memory 114 is a data storage deviceand can include a memory medium, a recording device that records data inthe memory medium, a reading device that reads the data from the memorymedium, and a deletion device that deletes data recorded in the memorymedium.

The power source 116 supplies power to constituent components (the CPU112, the display unit 118, and the like) included in the display device100.

The display unit 118 is, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) oran organic light emitting diode (OLED) display. The display unit 118 cansupply information by displaying a screen for the user. The display unit118 according to this embodiment is a transmission-type display thatdisplays the surroundings and can superimpose and display a virtualobject to be described below.

The sound input and output unit 120 includes, for example, a speakerthat outputs a sound based on a sound signal and a microphone that cancollect a sound. For example, the speaker may output action information(exercise information) regarding the user or operation information inputthrough the input unit 122 as a sound.

The input unit 122 is a unit through which the user inputs information.The input unit 122 includes, for example, a touch sensor, a button, aswitch, a lever, or the like which the user can operate. The userselects setting information such as selection or determination byoperating the input unit 122. The input unit 122 supplies the selectedsetting information or the like to the CPU 112.

The radio communication unit 124 performs radio communication with theserver 300 (see FIG. 1) via the network 400. The radio communicationunit 124 receives the exercise histories of the other users from theserver 300. Further, the radio communication unit 124 transmits theexercise information regarding the user who wears the display device 100to the server 300.

The electronic compass 126 is a magnetic sensor that detects an azimuthdirection of a sight line of the user who wears the display device 100.The electronic compass 126 detects geomagnetism and identifies theazimuth. The electronic compass 126 supplies the detected data to theCPU 112.

The GPS processing unit 128 acquires position information regarding thedisplay device 100 (user) based on a signal received from the GPSsatellite 500 (see FIG. 1). For example, the GPS processing unit 128acquires information regarding a latitude, a longitude, and an altitudeas the position information. The GPS processing unit 128 supplies theacquired position information to the CPU 112.

The gyro sensor 130 is an angular velocity sensor that detects the angleof the sight line of the user who wears the display device 100. The gyrosensor 130 may be, for example, a triaxial gyro sensor that detects, asa voltage value, a velocity (angular velocity) at which a rotationalangle around the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis varies. The gyrosensor 130 supplies data of the detected angular velocity to the CPU112.

The atmosphere pressure sensor 132 is a sensor that detects the altitudeof the current position of the user. The atmosphere pressure sensor 132detects the altitude as a predetermined sampling frequency and suppliesthe detected data to the CPU 112.

The acceleration sensor 134 is a sensor that detects a movement of theuser who wears the display device 100. For example, the accelerationsensor 134 detects whether the user is moving (exercising) or hasstopped. The acceleration sensor 134 may be a triaxial accelerationsensor that detects each of an acceleration in the X axis direction, anacceleration in the Y axis direction, and an acceleration in the Z axisdirection. The acceleration sensor 134 supplies data of the detectedacceleration to the CPU 112.

The imaging unit 136 includes an imaging element such as a CMOS andimages the visual field of the user. The imaging unit 136 images a stillimage or a moving image via a lens under the control of the CPU 112. Theimaging unit 136 supplies the captured image to the CPU 112.

(2-2. Example of Functional Configuration of Display Device)

An example of a functional configuration of the display device 100according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be describedwith reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating anexample of the functional configuration of the display device 100according to the embodiment.

Hereinafter, the display device 100 which the user Ua shown in FIG. 1wears will be described.

As shown in FIG. 4, the display device 100 includes a positioninformation acquisition unit 202, an action determination unit 204, anaction information acquisition unit 206, a captured image acquisitionunit 208, and a visual field information acquisition unit 210. Thedisplay device 100 further includes an image processing unit 212, aposition determination unit 214, an image generation unit 216 which isan example of an object generation unit, a display control unit 218, andan action information transmission unit 220. Such a functionalconfiguration is realized by the CPU 112 (see FIG. 3) as a displaycontrol device.

(Position Information Acquisition Unit 202)

The position information acquisition unit 202 acquires positioninformation (in other words, position information regarding the user Uawho wears the display device 100) regarding the display device 100. Theposition information acquisition unit 202 acquires the positioninformation regarding the display device 100 (the user Ua) through theGPS processing unit 128. For example, the acquired position informationis information regarding a latitude, a longitude, and an altitude of thedisplay device 100. The position information acquisition unit 202acquires the position information at predetermined intervals.

(Action Determination Unit 204)

The action determination unit 204 determines an action of the user Uawho wears the display device 100. For example, the action determinationunit 204 determines whether the user Ua is exercising. Specifically, theaction determination unit 204 determines whether the user Ua isexercising based on a detection result of the acceleration sensor 134.

The action determination unit 204 may determine whether the user Uastarts a running action based on a detection result of the accelerationsensor 134. Further, the action determination unit 204 may determine anaction of the user based on the position information acquired by theposition information acquisition unit 202.

(Action Information Acquisition Unit 206)

The action information acquisition unit 206 acquires action informationregarding a past action of the user Ub or Uc (another action) at theaction position of the user Ua (one actor) who wears the display device100 from the server 300 (see FIG. 1).

For example, the action information acquisition unit 206 acquires anexercise history of the user Ub or the user Uc as action information.Here, the acquired exercise history is a running history of the user Ubor Uc who has run at the position at which the user Ua is running Theexercise history to be acquired may be determined when the user Uastarts exercising and the user Ua selects the exercise history on a menuscreen displayed on the display unit 118. Further, the exercise historyto be acquired may be set in advance, for example, at the user's homebefore exercise.

The action information acquisition unit 206 acquires not only the actioninformation but also map information including information regarding thealtitude of the position at which another user Ub or Uc acts from theserver 300. By acquiring the map information including the informationregarding the altitude, the position of another user can be detectedwith higher accuracy.

Here, action information to be downloaded from the server 300 will bedescribed with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating adata structure of the action information to be downloaded from theserver 300. As shown in FIG. 5, the action information includes anexercise duration, the position information (the latitude, longitude,and altitude) regarding an exercise position, classification ofexercise, and the like.

(Captured Image Acquisition Unit 208)

The captured image acquisition unit 208 acquires a captured imagecaptured by the imaging unit 136. For example, the captured imageacquisition unit 208 acquires the captured image (visual field image)obtained by imaging a visual field of the user by the imaging unit 136.The captured image acquisition unit 208 outputs the acquired capturedimage to the image processing unit 210.

(Visual Field Information Acquisition Unit 210)

The visual field information acquisition unit 210 acquires visual fieldinformation of the user Ua who wears the display device 100. The visualfield information acquisition unit 210 acquires, as visual fieldinformation, for example, information regarding the direction (azimuth)of the sight line of the user Ua or the angle of the sight line of theuser Ua. The direction (azimuth) of the sight line of the user Ua isdetected by the electronic compass 126 which is an example of the sightline detecting unit. The angle of the sight line of the user Ua isdetected by the gyro sensor 130.

(Image Processing Unit 212)

The image processing unit 212 performs various kinds of image processingon the captured image acquired by the captured image acquisition unit208. The image processing unit 212 has a function of a determinationidentifying unit that identifies the range of a road on which the useris running from the captured image obtained by imaging the visual fieldof the user Ua by the imaging unit 136.

Hereinafter, a method of identifying the range of a road from theacquired captured image will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG.6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the method of identifying therange of a road from the captured image.

As shown in FIG. 6( a), the image processing unit 212 detects acandidate area of a road by performing edge processing on the capturedimage captured by the imaging unit 136. In FIG. 6( a), a road and a treeare detected as candidate areas. Next, as shown in FIG. 6( b), the imageprocessing unit 212 maps the azimuth and the angle of the sight line ofthe user Ua who wears the display device 100 to the road informationdownloaded from the position information regarding the user Ua. Next, asshown in FIG. 6( c), the image processing unit 212 identifies the rangeof the road using the mapped road information between the candidateareas (the road and the tree) of the road. Thus, as shown in FIG. 6( d),the range of the road is determined from the captured image.

(Position Determination Unit 214)

The position determination unit 214 determines whether another user Ub(or Uc) was located in the past at the position within the visual fieldof the user Ua during the action. Specifically, the positiondetermination unit 214 determines whether the other user was located inthe past within the visual field of the user based on the range of theroad identified by the image processing unit 212 and the position of theother user Ub.

For example, the position determination unit 214 determines that theother user Ub is located at the position within the visual field of theone user Ua, when the other user Ub is located within the range of theroad identified by the image processing unit 212. Conversely, theposition determination unit 214 determines that the other user Ub is notlocated at the position within the visual field of the one user Ua, whenthe other user Ub is not located within the identified range of theroad.

(Image Generation Unit 216)

The image generation unit 216 generates a virtual image transparentlydisplayed on the display unit 118. The image generation unit 216generates, as the virtual image, a virtual object for virtuallyindicating the position of the other user Ub (or the user Uc) during anaction of the user Ua based on the action information acquired by theaction information acquisition unit 206. Specifically, when the user Uais running at a given position, the image generation unit 216 generatesthe virtual object for virtually indicating the position of the otheruser Ub (or the user Uc) that has run in practice at the same positionin the past. Further, when a plurality of different users who have runat the same position are present, the image generation unit 216generates the virtual object corresponding to another user selected bythe user Ua.

The image generation unit 216 generates the virtual object suitable fora positional relation between the one user Ua and the other user Ub (orthe user Uc). For example, when the other user Ub is running in thefront of the user Ua, the image generation unit 216 generates thevirtual object showing the back shape of the other user Ub. On the otherhand, when the other user Ub is running in the rear of the user Ua, theimage generation unit 216 generates the virtual object showing the frontshape of the other user Ub.

The image generation unit 216 generates a map indicating the positionsof the one user Ua and the other user Ub (or the user Uc). The imagegeneration unit 216 causes the road to be included in the map and showsthe positions of the one user Ua and the other user Ub on the road. Themap is generated such that the map occupies a partial area in the cornerof the display screen of the display unit 118.

(Display Control Unit 218)

The display control unit 218 causes the display unit 118 displaying thesurroundings to display the virtual object generated by the imagegeneration unit 216 in a superimposition manner.

Specifically, the display control unit 218 causes the display unit 118to display the virtual object generated by the image generation unit 216in the superimposition manner during the action of the user Ua who wearsthe display device 100. That is, when the user Ua is acting at aspecific place, the display control unit 218 causes the display unit 118to display the virtual object corresponding to the action history of theother user Ub who has acted at the same position in the past. Thus,during the action of the user Ua, given display is realizedrealistically using actual past action information regarding the userUb.

The display control unit 218 causes the display unit 118 totransparently display the generated virtual object. For example, thedisplay control unit 218 displays the virtual object in gray or onlywith a contour line. Thus, it is possible to prevent the visual field ofthe user Ua from being blocked due to the displayed virtual object.

The display control unit 218 switches the display of the virtual objectdepending on whether the other user Ub is located within the visualfield of the one user Ua. That is, the display control unit 218 causesthe display unit 118 to display the virtual object when the positiondetermination unit 214 determines that the other user Ub is located atthe position within the visual field of the user Ua. Conversely, thedisplay control unit 218 causes the display unit 118 not to display thevirtual object when the position determination unit 214 determines thatthe other user Ub is not located at the position within the visual fieldof the user Ua. Thus, the given display can be realized morerealistically.

The display control unit 218 switches the display of the virtual objecton the display unit 118 in accordance with the positional relationbetween the other user Ub and the one user Ua and the direction of thesight line of the user Ua. For example, the display control unit 218causes the display unit 118 to display the virtual object correspondingto the other user Ub when the other user Ub is acting in the front of atraveling direction of the user Ua and it is thus detected that thesight line of the user Ua is oriented toward the front of the travelingdirection. Conversely, the display control unit 218 causes the displayunit 118 to display the virtual object corresponding to the other userUb, when the other user Ub is acting in the rear of the travelingdirection of the user Ua and it is thus detected that the sight line ofthe user Ua is oriented toward the rear of the traveling direction (thatis, the user Ua is looking back). Thus, the position of the user Ub canbe appropriately displayed in accordance with the sight line byswitching the display of the virtual object on the display unit 118 inaccordance with the direction of the sight line of the user Ua.

The display control unit 218 may cause the display unit 118 to displaythe virtual object when it is determined that the user Ua who wears thedisplay device 100 starts acting. Thus, when the user Ua does not act,it is possible to prevent the virtual object from being displayed on thedisplay unit 118.

The display control unit 218 may cause the display unit 118 not todisplay the virtual object when a shielding object is present betweenthe user Ua and the other user Ub in a view from the user Ua. Then, thedisplay control unit 218 causes the display unit 118 to display thevirtual object when the user Ua passes the shielding object. Thus, in asituation in which the other user Ub would not normally be viewed due tothe shielding object, it is possible to prevent the virtual objectcorresponding to the other user Ub from being displayed.

The display control unit 218 may change the size of the virtual objectto be displayed in accordance with the distance between the other userUb and the user Ua. For example, the display control unit 218 causes thevirtual object to be displayed larger as the other user Ub is locatedcloser to the vicinity of the user Ua.

The display control unit 218 may cause the display unit 118 to displaythe map showing the positions of the user Ua and the other user Ub inthe superimposition manner when it is determined that the other user Ubis not located at the position within the visual field of the user Ua.Thus, by displaying the map showing the positions of the user Ua and theother user Ub, the user Ua can easily comprehend the relative positioneven when the user Ua is distant from the other user Ub.

Specifically, the display control unit 218 causes the display unit 118to display the map showing the positions of the user Ua and the otheruser Ub when it is determined that the other user Ub is not located atthe position within the visual field of the user Ua and the other userUb is distant from the user Ua by a predetermined distance or greater.At this time, in order to prevent the visual field from being blocked bythe shown map, the display control unit 218 causes the map to betransparent.

The display control unit 218 may change a scale (magnification) of themap in accordance with the distance between the other user Ub and theuser Ua and display the changed map. That is, when the distance betweenthe other user Ub and the user Ua is large, the display control unit 218enlarges the scale of the map. When the distance between the other userUb and the user Ua is small, the display control unit 218 reduces thescale of the map. Thus, the display unit 118 can display the positionsof the other user Ub and the user Ua within the restricted display area.

(Action Information Transmission Unit 220)

The action information transmission unit 220 transmits (uploads) theaction information (for example, exercise information) regarding theuser Ua who wears the display device 100 to the server 300. The actioninformation regarding the user Ua is sequentially stored in, forexample, the memory 114, and thus the action information transmissionunit 220 transmits the series of action information to the server 300when the exercise is completed. Specifically, the action informationtransmission unit 220 transmits the exercise information shown in FIG. 5to the server 300. Thus, the virtual object based on the actioninformation of the user Ua can also be displayed on the display device100 which the other user Ub wears.

<3. Display Example of Virtual Object in Display Unit>

A display example of the virtual object on the display unit 118 of thedisplay device 100 will be described. Here, it is assumed that while theuser Ua (see FIG. 1) is running a specific course, the virtual objectscorresponding to the exercise histories of competitors (the users Ub andUc) who have run the same course in the past are displayed.

Hereinafter, the description will be made in the order of a displayexample in which the competitors are running in the front of the userUa, a display example in which the competitors and the user Ua arerunning side by side, a display example in which the competitors arerunning in the rear of the user Ua, and a display example in which thecompetitors are outside of the visual field of the user Ua.

(Display Example in which Competitors are Running in Front)

Display examples of virtual objects when competitors are running in thefront of the user Ua will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10.The display examples of the virtual objects to be described below aredisplayed when the user Ua is running in a frontward direction.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the virtual objectdisplayed by the display unit 118 when a competitor is running in thefront of the user Ua. On a display screen Sc1 of FIG. 7, the shape ofthe competitor who is located in the front of the user Ua and is runningforward in a frontward direction along a road is shown as a virtualobject Ob1. In addition, the virtual object Ob1 is transparently shownso that the back of the competitor does not block the visual field ofthe user Ua.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a virtual objectdisplayed by the display unit 118 when a competitor is running in thefront of the user Ua. On a display screen Sc2 of FIG. 8, the shape ofthe competitor who is located in the front of the user Ua and is runningforward in a frontward direction along a road is shown as a virtualobject Ob2. In addition, the virtual object Ob2 is transparently shownso that the diagonally backward right shape of the competitor does notoccupy the visual field of the user Ua.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a virtual objet displayedby the display unit 118 when a competitor is running in the front of theuser Ua. On a display screen Sc3 of FIG. 9, the shape of the competitorwho is located in the diagonally right front of the user Ua and isrunning forward in a frontward direction along a road is shown as avirtual object Ob3. In addition, the virtual object Ob3 is transparentlyshown so that the diagonally backward left shape of the competitor doesnot occupy the visual field of the user Ua.

(Display Example in which User and Competitor are Running Side by Side)

A display example of a virtual object when a competitor is running sideby side with the user Ua will be described with reference to FIG. 10.The display example of the virtual object described here is displayedwhen the running user Ua is viewing aside.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the virtual objectdisplayed by the display unit 118 when the competitor is running side byside with the user Ua. On a display screen Sc4 of FIG. 10, the shape ofthe competitor who is located right beside the user Ua and is runningforward in a frontward direction is shown as a virtual object Ob4. Inaddition, the virtual object Ob4 is transparently shown so that theshape of the competitor viewed from the left side does not occupy thevisual field of the user Ua.

(Display Example in which Competitor is Running in Rear)

Display examples of virtual objects when competitors are running in therear of the user Ua will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12.The display examples of the virtual objects to be described here aredisplayed when the running user Ua is looking back.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a virtual objectdisplayed by the display unit 118 when the competitor is running in therear of the user Ua. On a display screen Sc5 of FIG. 11, the shape ofthe competitor who is located in the rear of the user Ua and is runningdiagonally in a frontward direction along a road is shown as a virtualobject Ob5. In addition, the virtual object Ob5 is transparently shownso that the diagonally front shape of the competitor does not occupy thevisual field of the user Ua.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a virtual objectdisplayed by the display unit 118 when the competitor is running in therear of the user Ua. On a display screen Sc6 of FIG. 12, the shape ofthe competitor who is located right behind the user Ua and is running tothe front side is shown as a virtual object Ob6. In addition, thevirtual object Ob6 is transparently shown so that the front shape of thecompetitor approaching the user does not occupy the visual field of theuser Ua.

In the above-described display examples, the display of the virtualobject superimposed on a scene is switched when the sight line of theuser is moving. Thus, the user can perceive the relative position of thecompetitor more realistically.

(Display Example in which Competitor is Outside of Visual Field)

In the above-described display examples of FIGS. 7 to 12, the competitoris located within the visual field of the user. On the other hand, whenthe competitor is not located within the visual field of the user, thecompetitor is not displayed in the scene. In this case, the user may notcomprehend the positional relation between the user and the competitor.

The display unit 118 according to the embodiment displays a map showingthe positions of the competitor and the user, instead of a virtualobject, when the competitor is outside of the visual field of the user.Thus, the user can easily comprehend the position relation between thecompetitor and the user, while viewing the map showing the positions ofthe competitor and the user. Hereinafter, a display example of the mapwhen the competitor is outside of the visual field of the user will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a map displayed by thedisplay unit 118 when the competitor is outside of the visual field. Asshown on a display screen Sc7 of FIG. 13, a map showing the positions ofthe user Ua and the competitor Ub on a road St is shown in a partialarea of a transparent display showing a scene. The displayed map istransparently displayed so as not to occupy the visual field of the userUa. Further, the positions of the user Ua and the competitor Ub aredisplayed with, for example, different colors or marks so that the usercan distinguish the positions of the user Ua and the competitor Ub fromeach other.

Here, the displayed map can be displayed while changing the scale(magnification) of the map in accordance with the positions of the userand the competitor to display the positions of both the user and thecompetitor, as shown in FIG. 14. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagramillustrating examples of map displays in which the positions of the userand the competitor are shown. In FIG. 14, the display examples of threemaps with different scales are shown. Thus, by displaying the maps whilechanging the scale (magnification) of the map in accordance with thepositions of the user and the competitor, the user can immediatelycomprehend the positional relation between the user and the competitor.

In the above-described display examples of FIGS. 7 to 12, only onecompetitor is displayed, but the embodiment of the present disclosure isnot limited thereto. A plurality of competitors may be displayed. Thedisplay form of a competitor is not limited to the display examples (inwhich a competitor is displayed as a gray area) of FIGS. 7 to 12. Adisplay form (for example, display of only the contour line of acompetitor) in which the user can perceive a competitor may be used.

<4. Flow of Process Performed by Display Device>

An example of the flow of a process performed by the display device 100according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 15.FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of the processperformed by the display device 100 according to the embodiment.

The position information acquisition unit 202 of the display device 100acquires position information (position information regarding the userwho wears the display device 100) regarding the display device 100 (stepS102). That is, the position information acquisition unit 202 acquiresinformation regarding the latitude, longitude, and altitude of thedisplay device 100 (user) through the GPS processing unit 128.

Next, the display device 100 is connected to a social network by theradio communication unit 124 (step S104). Next, the display device 100receives a competition mode input by the user Ua (step S106). At thistime, the user Ua can select a competitor through the input unit 122.

Next, the action information acquisition unit 206 downloads exerciseinformation regarding another user (competitor) from the server 300(step S108). Then, the action determination unit 204 determines whetherthe user Ua who wears the display device 100 starts exercising based ona detection result of the acceleration sensor 134 (step S110).

When the action determination unit 204 determines that the user startsexercising in step S110 (Yes), the display device 100 records theexercise information regarding the user Ua in the memory 114 (step S112). Next, the display device 100 determines whether the competitor isexercising (step S114).

When display device 100 determines that the competitor is exercising instep S114 (Yes), the display control unit 218 performs a virtual objectdisplay process of displaying a virtual object on the display unit 118(step S116). Conversely, when the display device 100 determines that thecompetitor is not exercising in step S114 (No), the display control unit218 does not perform the virtual object display process of step S116.The details of the virtual object display process of step S116 will bedescribed below.

Next, the action determination unit 204 determines whether the user endsthe exercise (step S118). When the action determination unit 204determines that the user continues the exercise in step S118 (No), thedisplay device 100 performs the above-described process of step S112.Conversely, when the action determination unit 204 determines that theuser ends the exercise in step S118 (Yes), the display device 100uploads the exercise data of the user to the server (step S120).

(Virtual Object Display Process)

An example of the flow of the virtual object display process of stepS116 in FIG. 15 will be described with reference to FIG. 16. FIG. 16 isa flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of the virtual objectdisplay process.

The position determination unit 214 of the display device 100 acquiresthe relative coordinates of the competitor based on the latitudes,longitudes, and altitudes of the user and the competitor (step S202).Next, the image processing unit 212 determines the range of a road inwhich the user Ua is running from a captured image captured by theimaging unit 136 (step S204).

Next, when the image processing unit 212 can identify the range of theroad from the determination result (Yes in step S206), the imageprocessing unit 212 determines whether road information is included inthe downloaded map information (step S208).

When the image processing unit 212 determines that the road informationis included in step S208 (Yes), the image processing unit 212 performsmatching between the identified range of the road and the roadinformation to define the range of the road (step S210).

Next, the position determination unit 214 compares the position of thecompetitor with the range of the road (step S212). Then, the positiondetermination unit 214 determines whether the competitor is within thevisual field of the user (step S214). That is, the positiondetermination unit 214 determines whether the competitor is locatedwithin the range of the road.

When the position determination unit 214 determines that the competitoris within the visual field of the user in step S214 (Yes), the imagegeneration unit 216 generates a virtual object based on the coordinatesof the competitor and the traveling direction of the competitor (stepS216). Then, the display control unit 218 causes the display unit 118 todisplay the generated virtual object (step S218).

When the position determination unit 214 determines that the competitoris outside of the visual field of the user in step S214 (No), thedisplay control unit 218 causes the display unit 118 not to display thevirtual object. Further, when the competitor is distant from the user bya predetermined distance or greater, the display control unit 218 causesthe display unit 118 to display the map showing the positions of thecompetitor and the user.

<5. Case in which Virtual Object is Displayed>

The case in which the display unit 118 displays the virtual objectcorresponding to the competitor based on the exercise history of anotheruser (competitor) who has run at the specific position in the past whenthe user Ua who wears the display device 100 is running in a specificposition has been described. However, the case in which the display unit118 displays the virtual object is not limited to the above-describedcase.

For example, the display unit 118 may display the virtual object basedon the exercise history of the other user (competitor) when the user Uais performing an action (exercise) other than running. Here, examples ofthe action other than running include bicycling, swimming, automobiledriving, motorcycling, sailing, flying, and paragliding.

In a specific facility, a virtual object may be displayed as a guidefunction. For example, when an area is divided minutely and a user islocated in a specific area in a gallery, a zoo, a park, an amusementfacility, or the like, a virtual object such as a video may beautomatically displayed. Further, a past movement of another personplaying a guiding role may be displayed as a virtual object based onmovement information. Likewise, a virtual object may be displayed andused as a guide in a route or the like that is difficult to search for.

Further, a virtual object may be displayed based on exercise informationperformed in the past event. Specifically, in one place, an atmosphereof the past event can be reproduced by displaying the virtual objectbased on the exercise information or the like of participants of theevent performed at the same place in the past.

<6. Summarization>

As described above, the display device 100 according to the embodimentof the present disclosure generates a virtual object for virtuallyindicating the position of another actor (competitor) during an actionof one actor (user) based on acquired action information. Then, thedisplay device 100 can superimpose the generated virtual object on thedisplay unit 118 displaying the surrounding scene during the action ofthe one actor.

Thus, when the user is exercising in a specific place, the display unit118 displays the virtual object corresponding to the exercise history ofa competitor who has exercised at the same place in the past. That is,during the action of the user, the display is realized realisticallyusing the actual past action information of the competitor. As a result,since the user continues the action while viewing the virtual objectdisplayed during the action, the user can compete with another actor orperform an action using the action of the other actor instead of aguide.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that variousmodifications, combinations, sub-combinations and alterations may occurdepending on design requirements and other factors insofar as they arewithin the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.

The glasses-type display device 100 (see FIG. 2) mounted on the face ofa user has been described as an example of a display device thatdisplays a virtual object, but the embodiment of the present disclosureis not limited thereto. For example, when a user drives an automobile, avirtual object may be transparently displayed on the windshield.Further, when a user exercises with a motorbike, a virtual object may betransparently displayed on a visor of a helmet.

The display device 100 has been described as a display control devicethat generates a virtual object and causes the display unit 118 todisplay the virtual object, but the embodiment of the present disclosureis not limited thereto. For example, the server 300 may be configured asa display control device that generates a virtual object and causes adisplay device to display the virtual object. Even in this case, when auser is exercising in a specific place, the display unit 118 displaysthe virtual object corresponding to exercise history of a competitor whohas exercised at the same place in the past. When the server 300 servesas the display control device, the configuration of the display device100 can be simplified.

While the steps described in the flowcharts according to theabove-described embodiment naturally include processes performedchronologically in the described order, but the processes are notnecessarily processed chronologically, and the steps may also includeprocesses performed in parallel or separately. Further, the order of thechronologically processed steps may, of course, be changedappropriately, as necessary.

The process performed by an information processing device described inthe specification may be realized by any one of software, hardware, anda combination of the hardware and software. For example, a program forthe software is stored in a memory medium installed inside or outsideeach device in advance. For example, each program is read to a randomaccess memory (RAM) and is executed by a processor such as a CPU, whenthe program is executed.

Additionally, the present technology may also be configured as below.

-   (1) A display control device including:

an action information acquisition unit that acquires, at an actionposition of one actor, action information regarding a past action ofanother actor;

an object generation unit that generates a virtual object for virtuallyindicating a position of the other actor during an action of the oneactor based on the acquired action information; and

a display control unit that causes a display unit displaying asurrounding scene to superimpose and display the generated virtualobject during the action of the one actor.

-   (2) The display control device according to (1), wherein the display    control unit causes the display unit to transparently display the    generated virtual object.-   (3) The display control device according to (1) or (2), further    including:

a position determination unit that determines whether the other actor islocated at a position within a visual field of the one actor who isacting,

wherein the display control unit causes the display unit to display thevirtual object when the position determination unit determines that theother actor is located at the position within the visual field.

-   (4) The display control device according to (3), wherein the display    control unit causes the display unit to superimpose and display a    map showing positions of the one actor and the other actor when the    position determination unit determines that the other actor is not    located at the position within the visual field.-   (5) The display control device according to (4), wherein the display    control unit causes the display unit to superimpose and display the    map when the position determination unit determines that the other    actor is not located at the position within the visual field and the    other actor is distant from the one actor by a predetermined    distance or greater.-   (6) The display control device according to any one of (3) to (5),

wherein actions of the one actor and the other actor are running actionson a road,

wherein the display control device further includes:

-   -   a range identifying unit that identifies a range of the road        from a captured image captured by an imaging unit that images        the visual field of the one actor, and

wherein the position determination unit determines that the other actoris located at the position within the visual field when the other actoris located within the identified range of the road.

-   (7) The display control device according to any one of (1) to (6),    further including:

a sight line detection unit that detects a direction of the sight lineof the one actor,

wherein the display control unit switches display of the virtual objectin the display unit in accordance with the detected direction of thesight line.

-   (8) The display control device according to (7), wherein the display    control unit causes the display unit to display the virtual object    when the other actor is acting in front of a traveling direction of    the one actor and it is detected that the sight line of the one    actor is oriented toward the front.-   (9) The display control device according to (7), wherein the display    control unit causes the display unit to display the virtual object    when the other actor is acting in rear of the traveling direction of    the one actor and it is detected that the sight line of the one    actor is oriented toward the rear.-   (10) The display control device according to any one of (1) to (9),    further including:

an action determination unit that determines the action of the oneactor,

wherein actions of the one actor and the other actor are runningactions, and

wherein the display control unit causes the display unit to display thevirtual object when the action determination unit determines that theone actor starts the running action.

-   (11) The display control device according to any one of (1) to (10),    wherein the display control unit causes the display unit not to    display the virtual object when a shielding object is present    between the one actor and the other actor from a view of the one    actor.-   (12) The display control device according to any one of (1) to (11),    wherein the action information acquisition unit acquires the action    information and map information including information regarding    altitude of a position at which the other actor acts.-   (13) The display control device according to any one of (1) to (12),    wherein the display unit is a glasses-type display unit mounted on    the one actor.-   (14) A display control method including:

acquiring, at an action position of one actor, action informationregarding a past action of another actor;

generating a virtual object for virtually indicating a position of theother actor during an action of the one actor based on the acquiredaction information; and

causing a display unit displaying a surrounding scene to superimpose anddisplay the generated virtual object during the action of the one actor.

-   (15) A program for causing a computer to execute:

acquiring, at an action position of one actor, action informationregarding a past action of another actor;

generating a virtual object for virtually indicating a position of theother actor during an action of the one actor based on the acquiredaction information; and

causing a display unit displaying a surrounding scene to superimpose anddisplay the generated virtual object during the action of the one actor.

1. (canceled)
 2. A display control device comprising: circuitryconfigured to: acquire action information from a first sensor andposition information from a second sensor; determine whether a user ofthe display control device starts a workout relating to a guide based onthe action information from the first sensor; retrieve actioninformation of the guide transmitted from an external server; determinethat the guide is located at a position within a visual field of theuser of the display control device; and cause a display to display avirtual object of the guide at the position within the visual field. 3.The display control device of claim 2, wherein the circuitry is furtherconfigured to: cause the display to display a map indicating a positioninformation of the user and a position information of the guide.
 4. Thedisplay control device according to claim 3, wherein the circuitry isfurther configured to: change a scale of the displayed map in accordancewith a position of the user and a position of the guide.
 5. The displaycontrol device according to claim 4, wherein the scale of the displayedmap is increased.
 6. The display control device according to claim 4,wherein the scale of the displayed map is decreased.
 7. The displaycontrol device according to claim 2, wherein the circuitry is configuredto cause the display to transparently display the virtual object.
 8. Thedisplay control device according to claim 2, wherein the display is aglasses-type display mounted on the user.
 9. The display control deviceaccording to claim 2, wherein the first sensor is different from thesecond sensor.
 10. The display control device according to claim 2,wherein the action information of the guide is retrieved from theexternal server when the workout is related to the guide.
 11. Thedisplay control device according to claim 2, wherein the first sensor isan action detection sensor.
 12. The display control device according toclaim 2, wherein the second sensor is a position detection sensor. 13.The display control device according to claim 2, wherein the circuitryis configured to display a surrounding scene of the user.
 14. Thedisplay control device according to claim 2, wherein the circuitry isconfigured to detect a direction of a sight line of the user.
 15. Thedisplay control device according to claim 14, wherein the circuitry isconfigured to switch the display of the virtual object in the display inaccordance with the detected direction of the sight line.
 16. Thedisplay control device according to claim 2, wherein the circuitry isconfigured to cause the display to display the virtual object when theuser is determined to start the workout.
 17. The display control deviceaccording to claim 2, wherein the workout is related to running.
 18. Thedisplay control device according to claim 2, wherein the display controldevice is provided on the user.
 19. The display control device accordingto claim 18, wherein the display control device is a glasses-typedisplay mounted on the user.
 20. A display control method comprising:acquiring, by circuitry, action information from a first sensor andposition information from a second sensor; determining whether a user ofthe display control device starts a workout relating to a guide based onthe action information from the first sensor; retrieving actioninformation of the guide transmitted from an external server;determining that the guide is located at a position within a visualfield of the user of the display control device; and causing a displayto display a virtual object of the guide at the position within thevisual field.
 21. A non-transitory computer readable medium having acomputer program recorded thereon, the computer program configured toperform a method when executed on a computer, the method comprising:acquiring action information from a first sensor and positioninformation from a second sensor; determining whether a user of thedisplay control device starts a workout relating to a guide based on theaction information from the first sensor; retrieving action informationof the guide transmitted from an external server; determining that theguide is located at a position within a visual field of the user of thedisplay control device; and causing a display to display a virtualobject of the guide at the position within the visual field.